1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to packaging and containers, and relates more specifically to a corrugated fiberboard lift van system.
2. Related Art
Lift vans are widely utilized in the moving and transportation industries as containers for storage, packaging, and transport. Lift vans provide a relatively large uniform sized container in which items can be easily stored and moved. Typical dimensions are, e.g., 88″ in length×45″ in width×88″ in height. Because of their uniform dimensions, the containers can be easily placed on pallets (or incorporate a pallet) that allow the container to be moved with a forklift.
Most prior art lift vans are constructed from plywood. Accordingly, constructing, packaging and moving the lift vans involve costly operations. Also, some countries are beginning to place restrictions on the import of plywood due to environmental issues involving bugs and the like infesting the wood.
One solution to the problem involves utilizing cardboard or fiberboard instead of plywood. Unfortunately, significant complexity is introduced in designing a cardboard/fiberboard lift van due to the fact that the container must provide significant structural resiliency. To address this, prior art cardboard lift vans require many different cardboard/fiberboard parts that are expensive and complicated to manufacture. Assembly of the prior art designs is also complicated given the many parts involved in constructing such a large containment device. In addition, the cardboard/fiberboard lift van must be collapsible so that it can be broken down for storage when not in use. Accordingly, a need exists for a simple to manufacture and assemble lift van system.